Fernando García Sanz on the new meaning of Italianisation

Historian Fernando García Sanz writes in the daily La Vanguardia that meaning of the term "Italianisation" as used in the Spanish language has changed over time: "For a long time the term Italianisation or Italianising essentially had a descriptive meaning, although it's true that in many cases it carried a positive and prestigious connotation in Spain because it referred to the imitation of a canon or a predominant model: in painting, sculpture, a certain literary trend or even the façade of a building or a palace could be Italianised. And of course music, too: for a long time there was a tendency among musicians, and above all singers, to Italianise names and surnames in order to be successful, … . Since then, however, the term has acquired connotations that are not only negative but also pejorative in everyday usage (and even, or above all, in political circles): the worst thing you can do is act like the Italians. Even before this term gained currency in a socio-political context the great majority of Spaniards already knew that when they heard in a sports report that a certain team was 'Italianising' a game, what was meant was that the team in question was trying to obstruct the game of its opponent by using dilatory tactics or provoking incidents, or in other words playing dirty."

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